Relief from impending Medicare cuts clears House, moves to Senate

The House last night voted 222-212 to pass a legislative package that would extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester cuts until April 1, 2022, and reduce the cuts from 2% to 1% from April 1 through June 30, 2022. The package also would stop the 4% statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester from taking effect early next year. The Senate could take up the package as soon as tomorrow. 

Other provisions in the package would mitigate a separate Medicare payment cut to physicians; delay payment cuts and private payer data reporting requirements for certain hospital laboratories; delay the implementation of the radiation oncology model; and set up a fast-track process in the Senate to increase the debt limit.   

“The AHA is pleased that the House has recognized that now is not the time to make cuts to hospitals and physicians under the Medicare program,” AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said in a statement shared with the media yesterday. View the full statement for AHA’s reaction to the legislative package.